


Storm Clouds

by CreepypastaHound



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Astraphobia, Camping sucks when it rains, Comfort/Angst, Gen, Gladio is a jerk, Headcanon, Hugs, Noctis feels bad, Prompto is scared of thunder, fear of thunder, mama ignis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-01 22:50:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10202567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CreepypastaHound/pseuds/CreepypastaHound
Summary: Three different times Prompto shows his fear of thunderstorms but one out of those times he finds  what he has been longing and looking for, shelter from the storm.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Headcanon: Prompto is deathly afraid of thunder, a fear having developed in his childhood since he was always alone and has had no one there with him. 
> 
> He tries to be tough through a thunderstorm since Gladiolus likes to tease him about it but, Ignis and Noctis are much more understanding. So he goes to them when his fear gets the best of him.

The winds howl as the windows rattle and the rain relentlessly slashed against the apartment complex. The sky lights up in a brilliant flash of pale gray as lightening fills the sky only to be followed by the low rumbling of thunder echoes across the city.

The raging storm outside was just that a harmless thunderstorm, but to Prompto it was the most terrifying thing to intrude on his existence. He laid in his bed shaking watching the windows wide eyes from under his blue and white blanket bracing and anticipating for the next flash of lightening that was inevitable this night.

Prompto wasn't afraid of the storm itself, no, but the crackle of lightening and the tremendous boom of thunder is what was scary to the small boy.

The flash of lightening light up his colorful room and he flung the blankets over his head his entire body shaking as thunder follows shortly after. He let's out a small gasp as covers his ears squeezing his eyes shut as a boom resonates in the room and bounced off the walls.

Prompto bites his lips as he peeks out from under the sheets when he felt himself calm down a bit. He climbs out of bed heading for his desk with the means to collect his remote for the lamp to turn on the lights hoping that would make him feel safer, but when he reached his desk taking up the small remote control for his overhead light he heard a noise.

Prompto immediately froze up.

It sounded like someone was at the front door, now he knew better than to just let anyone inside, and he did know to lock. He doubted it was someone at the door, most likely a wild animal looking for food or debris knocking against the door, but part of him hoped it was the set of people he needed more than ever in his life, especially on these kinds of nights.

Prompto picked up his glasses that rested on the desk and snuck out of his room tip-toeing quietly heading for the front door. The distance between him and the door wasn't a long one but that night in that instance felt like he was walking to school.

He would cover his ears and close his eyes whenever the sky lit up and he would bump and stumble around just so he didn't have to hear the thunder. He was scared but at the same time determined for he needed to check to see if it was them or not.

_"Please. Please let it be them! I don't wanna be alone tonight."_

He needed them here to tell him he will be alright, he wanted to be taken into loving arms and held close as a motherly voice told him he was safe. Prompto, however, knew he would be okay since he was indoors, but him being a child also fooled his mind into thinking he could get hurt simply just by hearing the rumbles and booms. 

But there was nothing wrong with reassurance from adults, right?

Prompto had finally reached the window next to the front door and peeks out of it. His heart was racing with the hopes of seeing the women or man in the photographs that he never really got to see in person.

Nothing. Well at least from what he could make out from his current spot.

Prompto felt his heart tighten as it begins to pounds like a jackhammer in his chest as he opens the door and steps out for a better look.

There was nobody outside.

The rain stains his face and his glasses obscuring his view but he can see that there was no one outside. His lower lip begins to tremble and his throat tightens as he looks up and the empty street seeing no sign of human life. The only other sound aside from the storm is the screeching of tires from a car speeding away.

His eyebrows furrow as large tears fill his eyes and he closes the door locking it. He jumps at the sound that he has heard several times that night. He doesn't return to his room instead he makes his way across the hall and enters a room that never gets used by the ones it was furnished for.

Prompto stands in the doorway staring at the large bed for a moment until he spots another bolt of lightening streaking across the sky from the window and he dives onto the bed covering his ears as a loud boom resonates off the walls.

Prompto laid there on his parents bed huddled in a ball as the built up tears finally escape his eyes as he tremble and eventually cries himself to sleep.

 

* * *

 

It was the seventh class of the day and it was nearing its end. The math teacher drones on and on explaining something about multiplication, squares, and two cars driving into town.

Either way Prompto wasn't paying attention, he was fast at work sketching a picture of a female character with a afro and a visor on her face. He was about to draw her hands but looked stumped, he wasn't sure if he should draw her with gauntlets or use her regular hands with gems in her palms.

He looked towards Noctis who was daydreaming as he too lazily doodle on his worksheet "Hey Noct..." The blonde whispers out. Yet Noctis didn't respond when he was called.

Prompto calles him again this time slightly louder however he only succeeds in catching the attention of the teacher.

"Mr. Argentum, do  _you_ have something to share?" The teacher said in an impatient tone causing Prompto to fall silent. 

"No? Then maybe you can answer the problem?"

"Uh...."

Prompto looks over to Noctis who gave him a sympathetic look. He looks around noticing that everyone was staring at him causing his heart to race and his stomach cramping up due to his anxiety.

"Uh...seven...seven hundred and two?" Prompto says weakly.

The teacher sighs shaking his head "Thirty minute detention after class...."

Prompto collapsed in to his chair, sure he got the answer wrong and he might've been calling his friend but did it really warrant detention? 

Prompto glanced out the window only to see a clear blue sky  _"Some day to get stuck with detention."_ he thought  _"Especially with math detention."_

 

The bell rang releasing all the students except for Prompto. The blonde was put to work, he used the dry erase eraser to clear the board. He would occasionally glance at his teacher who was grading papers as he listens to the small radio.

The news broadcast rambles on about the Chancellor who was going to give some speech about something that Prompto just didn't care about. He wanted to ask if they change the station when the news anchor introduced the meteorologist.

Prompto glances at the window, he could see large dark storm clouds rolling in. He looks around noticing just how dark the room had gotten he could already hear the soft rumble of thunder and it sent a shudder down his spine.

"Prompto."

The blonde jumps and looks at his teacher "Go on and head home, I don't want you to get caught up in this storm."

The teachers' tone was soft a complete one-eighty of how he usually speaks to the younger male. Prompto nods thanking him as he exits the classroom.

When he exits the building it was lightly drizzling and he wasn't in the mood to walk in the rain but he had no choice. Moments like these he wished he had his own car.

"Hey Prompto need a ride?"

"Noct?" 

Noctis pulls up next to Prompto in his car "Noct? Dude, I thought you left." Prompto says climbing into the passenger seat, this causes Noctis to smirk "And leave my best friend who also happens to be to lazy to get his drivers license out in the storm? Not a chance."

Prompto laughs but when the sky rumbles softly Prompto flinched catching the attention of his friend "You okay?" Noctis asks.

The photog nods "Yeah, just cold is all." He says laughing not wanting the truth to be known. He didn't want Noctis to laugh at him he wouldn't know how to react or what to think of his only friend made fun of him for his silly fear.

 

Noctis had pulled onto the road that lead to Promptos' apartment and the storm was now starting to come down hard and the sky was lighting up more often now. With every boom of thunder Prompto fought the urge to jump and cover his ears.

But seeing that he was close to home and was going to be alone during the storm he turned to Noctis "Say Noct...its Friday night and we don't have any homework...would it be cool if I spent the night at your place?" He asks trying to keep his voice level.

Noctis shrugs not really caring, he didn't mind the company "Yeah, sure, whatever." He says turning the car around and earning a nervous laugh of relief from the blonde "Aw right, I call WiiWheel if we play Mario Kart!" 

 

The storms had blown the power out and it left Noctis and Prompto in the dark. Neither of the teenagers had expected this, the weather taking the turn for the worse. 

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

Their phones went off constantly and the simple message  _'Cloud to ground lightening'_ only scared him. He jumps as a boom fills the night sky as his eyes searched the sky bracing for the next round of thunder and lightening.

Noctis was fast at work setting down blankets for a pallet for them to sleep on. He would occasionally glance over at Prompto who was transfixed on the window. He noticed just how tense the blonde looked and how he would shudder as the echoes of the thunder filled the room. 

Was he afraid of the storm? Worried Noctis calls out to his friend "Hey Prompto." He says walking over to his friend "You okay?" He says and places a hand on his shoulder causing him to jump "N-Noct." He says weakly. 

"Uh...what's that now?" Prompto asks confused.

"You okay? You seem a little...on edge." Noctis says gently. 

Prompto shook he wraps his arms around himself nodding "I'm okay." He says softly as he gets to his feet "Just all this rumbling is reminding me that I forgot to take my medicine." Prompto laughs as he walks over to his backpack.

Noctis watches as Prompto rummages a bit through his backpack before pulling out a small bottle of pills. "I forgot you get bad stomach aches." Noctis says sounding distracted as lays down on his pile of blankets.

"Yeah, it sucks." Prompto says popping two of the capsules into his mouth swallowing it down with some juice in a silver pouch.

Finishing his medicine he made his way to his own little pile of blankets as Noctis wished him a good night. 

Prompto was about to respond when a boom of thunder causes him to hide under the blanket shaking. The boom bounced off the walls with an increasingly loud roar causing the blonde to whimper as he covers his ears peeking out at the window.

"It's just a storm...its just thunder....its-"

A bright blinding flash lights up the sky with nearly the same brightness as the sun. Prompto immediately regretted looking at the window as he watched lightening branch out across the sky like a hand with bony fingers reaching for the fat black clouds crackling loudly.

_**KA-BOOM!** _

Prompto gasps squeezing his eyes shut as he bites down on the space between his thumb and wrist doing everything he could to muffle his cries. He wasn't going to let his friend know he was scared of thunder, he didn't want him to think he was a coward. He didn't want Noctis to laugh at him.

"Boo!"

Hands suddenly grabbing him causes Prompto to let out a shrill scream as a laugh sounds from behind him. Prompto rolls over only to see Noctis laughing "Ah hahaha, ah man you should see the look on- Prompto?"

Noctis' tone goes from playing to concerned when he noticed that Prompto hung his head turning away from his friend. "Prompto? Are you okay?" Noctis asks again when he sees the blondes' shoulders quaking.

The sky rumbles again causing Prompto to whimper, and when it booms the blonde covered his ears no longer caring if Noctis judged him, in the current moment he was just scared.

He jumps again when he hears Noctis speak and he didn't have the heart to face the prince, he must be ashamed to know a coward. Prompto wasn't worth Noctis' friendship, at least that's how he feels. 

"Are you scared of the storm?" Noctis asks causing the blonde to sniff as tears fill his eyes. Before Prompto could answer the sky lights up again and he cowers squeezing his eyes shut.

Seeing this was enough evidence to tell Noctis that the weather outside was scaring his friend. He watches as Prompto wipes at his eyes with a small sniffle, with a heavy sigh Noctis speaks up.

"If you need to cry go ahead. I ain't gonna judge you." Noctis says feeling unsure of the best way to help his friend, he hated that he didn't know how to comfort him. With those words Prompto begins to weep softly as he apologizes for making a scene.

But Noctis didn't say anything instead he sat with the photographer listening to his small gasps as they both waited out the storm.

 

* * *

 

"Wanna set up camp?" Gladiolus asks as the group of friends step onto the grounds of the Haven. Noctis nods slightly for he was far too exhausted to debate, the series of hunts that they had taken up left them all feeling like they were running on fumes "Could crash right here...." the prince says with a yawn. 

"Now I'm positive you can stay awake long enough to have something to eat." Ignis speaks up as he begins to light the portable stove. Noctis was hungry just like the rest of the  _brothers_ but part of him had hoped Ignis would settle with Cup Noddle instead of something extravagant so he could just go to bed.

 

The sun had set completely when the tent was finally up, and dinner had been eaten leaving Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto to sit quietly and enjoy the chilling air while Noctis had gone to sleep.

"Mmm, the breeze feels good." Prompto says happily leaning his head back.

"Indeed. And I must admit the smell of the air is rather enticing." Ignis adds. 

"Yeah...." Gladiolus grumbles.

The three sit in comfortable silence for a while longer each occupied with their own task; Gladiolus reading his book, Ignis knitting a red object, and Prompto looking through his camera. 

Fifteen minutes go by and Prompto stands stretching with a yawn heading into the tent say 'Goodnight' to the older teammates.

Ignis was the next to bid Gladiolus pleasant dreams as he enters the tent with the larger man soon calling it a night when he found himself reading the same line over and over again.

 

Prompto jolts awake sitting up and looking around for what had woken him up. He sat still thinking in he needed to go outside to relieve himself but that wasn't the case. No something felt off, almost wrong, making the hairs on his arms and back of his neck stand up out of fear.

That's when he hears the constant patter of rain coming down on the tent. He thought nothing of it and laid back down trying to go back to sleep for they camped many times through showers.

_Boom! BA-BOOOM!_

_"No...why now? Why did it have to be a thunderstorm? Why tonight? Why!?"_

_Boom! BOOOOM!_

Prompto pulls his blanket over his head his eyes staring into the fabric of the blanket as he begins to tremble slightly. 

"It's just a storm...its just thunder....its going to go away soon." he whimpers peeking out from under the sheet.

"It's just a storm...its just thunder....its-"

From inside the tent he can see the world light up around him and he throws the blanket over his head once again this shaking violently as if he was freezing and just couldn't get warm. 

He rolls over just enough to see his older  _brothers_ sound asleep. He was jealous of them, they weren't intimidated by the silly sounds outside and were currently sleeping as if they weather was as peaceful as it was that morning.

Prompto rolls back over as the sky rumbles and tears begin to fill his eyes. Why was he stuck with this crippling childish fear? Why couldn't he just take his gun and shoot down this phobia like he does the beasts and daemons?

He'd rather face a behemoth than this storm. 

The sky let's out a deep rumble pulling the shaking gunmen out of his thoughts as he cusses in a wobbly voice as the tears escape his eyes. 

Why was it a stupid storm that made him cry? Heck for that matter why did all his phobias make him cry?

The sky explodes once again and Prompto tugs the blanket tightly around himself as he begins to cry softly out of a hurt mix of emotions and fear of the storm. He let's out a small sob shaking mumbling his mantra as quietly as he could. 

"Prompto?"

Prompto shakes as tears roll down his face, unaware another being was awake and that he had been called.

"Prompto."

This time he hears the accented voice of Ignis but he refused to make eye contact with him "Y-Yeah Ig? " the blonde whimpers and sniffles.

"Are you alright? Is something the matter?" Ignis asks gently his voice was laced with concern as he watched the youngest of the group trembling under the blanket.

Prompto nods weakly "Y-Yeah...I-I'm goo-"

A thunderous bang rings out over them shaking the tent causing Prompto to let out a scream he struggled to swallow down, making Gladiolus jolt awake looking around for the danger.

"What? Where? What's going on!??" He says frantically but when he doesn't see the danger he calms down "Why did Prompto scream?" He asks extremely annoyed for having been woken up for nothing.

"I-Ignis." Prompto stammers his face was red with humiliation.

"He's frighten of the storm, there's no point in lying." Ignis says when sees the expression on Promptos' face. Gladiolus grumbles calling the blonde a wuss as he lays back down tossing the blanket over himself.

Prompto looks away from Ignis feeling ashamed and humiliated half from having his friends learn of his fear and half from Gladiolus teasing him, he jumps once more when he hears the low rumble of the sky.

"Adding insult to injury, eh?" Ignis says softly shifting closer to the blonde who begins to shake "I...I feel so stupid...what kind of adult is afraid of thunderstorms?" Prompto says sadly causing Ignis to sigh a bit "Prompto believe it or not there's plenty of adults who share this fear." He says gently.

"Yeah but you, Noct, and Gladio aren't afraid of it." He says avoiding eye contact with the advisor. "That may be true but that doesn't mean we don't understand your fear."

"I don't, I say we toss him outside and don't let him back until tomorrow, it's how my grandpops got me out my fear." Gladiolus grumbles.

Prompto looks at Gladiolus and then to Ignis with a terrified expression "Exposure therapy isn't the best option for Prompto besides, it will be me who ends up curing him of any sickness he should pick up being out in the storm." Ignis grumbles pushing up his glasses.

"Now I think the best thing for us to do i-" Ignis is cut off by the sky lighting up. He looks over at Prompto who gasps and when the rumbling rings out the gunmen he covers his ears.

Ignis could see him shaking as the low rumble continues for a few seconds. The sky lights up again this time producing a loud bang causing Prompto to scream and without thinking he clings to Ignis.

Ignis looks down at him his arms up and bent slightly at the sudden contact. He was about to say something when another rumble rolls through the sky and Ignis feels the younger male burrow his face into his stomach.

"Now Prompto let's-ah Prompto?"

He felt his stomach growing wet as tears stain his shirt. The tactician tries to move the blonde but Prompto grips him tighter as his shoulders quake with soft sobs. Ignis sighs seeing that Prompto wasn't budging any time soon. He sighs settling with small rubs on the blondes back trying to get him to calm down to no avail.

"Gladio, I could use some assistance." He says causing the massive man to groan sitting up. Gladiolus didn't have patience for something as trivial as this he honestly felt like Prompto should've been over this years ago. 

"You're seriously crying over this storm? Geez. Didn't think we were bringing an infant with us." Gladiolus mocks laughing at the blonde but Prompto only continues to cry as he starts to visibly shake when another rumble of thunder echoes over them. 

The gunmen cusses in a small wobbly voice hating that his friends had learned of his fear, and because Gladiolus was right. He even knew he was too old for this but he didn't know how to overcome it.

Gladiolus stops laughing seeing that Prompto was genuinely frighten. He didn't say anything instead he pulls him close so that he was sitting next to him. 

The sky rumbles once more and Gladiolus sighs feeling bad for having laughed "You really are afraid of thunder aren't you?"

Prompto nods "I...I never grew out of it. My parents were never home on nights like these and the sound. Always scared me when I was little...it still does. I wanted to get help but...I'm to ashamed to tell anyone about this." He admits. 

"You guys are the only ones who know about this." He says his voice comes out small and weak. Gladiolus looks at him before nodding "Well the way my dad helped me was by taking me outside...but I'm sure that isn't going to work for you." He says seeing the frighten expression on Promptos' face. 

Gladiolus thinks for a moment before smiling "I got an idea, give me your phone." He says which Prompto hands him. "This might help you out. I know music helps some folks, but nothing beats the relaxing feel of reading a book during a storm. Well I guess I your case listening to one." 

Gladiolus hands the phone back to Prompto and he sees that there's a book cover on his phone "Hey I seen this movie." Prompto says happily "We'll it was a book first." Gladiolus says settling back down as Prompto begins to play the audio book. 

To his surprise he hardly heard the thunder when it rolls through the sky. Prompto closes his eyes listening to the story.

And the first time during a storm he relaxes and goes to sleep.


End file.
